Improved apparatus for burning hydrocarbons



WASIM & A. BARF1?. APPARATUS P0P.l BURNING HYnRoGARBoNs.

No. 49,357; 1 Patented Aug. a, 1865.

Zyai 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

WILLIAM SIM AND ARTHUR BARFF, 0F GLASGOW, NORTH BRITAIN,`

lMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBONMS.

Specification forming part or Letters Patent No. 49,357, dated August 8, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

AIBe it known that we,WrLLIAM SIM and AR- TEUR. BARFF, of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, North Britain, haveinvent-ed certain new and use-ful Improvements in Method ot' Employing Mineral and Vegetable Oils, &c., for heat-producing purposes; and we hereby de-v clare that the following is La full,`clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Thisinventionihas for its essential object the employment ofthe gasesproduced by the heating of mineraloils for the production of heat and the generationof steam, and when e111-, ployed for the latter purpose it is preferred to convert the oil into gas for burning in a retort J placed in the ordinary tire or fuel chamber'of steax11-bellersv Thelgaszrnay, however, be couveyed from a gas-holder or otherapparatusA suitable for containing it previous to being burned. Itis, however, considered advantageous to employ itdirectfroma retort placed in the furnace ofthe boiler, as bylneans of this it is supplied 4and maintained ata high temperature, which is very desirable for the effi! cient working of the process and the effecting of an economical `use of the oil.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fig` ure 1 represents of longitudinal section of a locomotive-boiler constructed and arranged for the burning of the gas produced by the vapori- 4 zation of hydrocarbon'oils by thecombustion .0f which steam is generated. l The chief difference `in the boiler shown in l the'drawings from the ordinary locomotive-engine boiler consists in the arrangement of the firebox A, in which there is contained the second water-space, B, connected to the ordinary water-space byjmeans ofV the lducts or waterways O. Within the second waterspace,B, a retort, D, is situated, being fixed therein in any suitable manner, but as in the drawings by means of studs from Vtwo of itssides, which, however, in the figure given cannot be seen.

From the upper side of this retort D several l upright tubular pillars, E, extend, being 'fixed to the retort -by means ol' studs through the flange on their lower ends.. Two of the opposite sides of 'the upper extremity of these tubular pillars Ehave a screw-thread cut in them, into which the' pipes F are screwed, as shown, vthe farther ends of the pipes being furnished with miter-gi 1 F', into `which the upright orv .vertical p pes Gr are fixed. In the-lower part of fthe, `box formed by means al this second water-spacaB, a set of rebars`H, are xed, on which rests the fuel for generating the gas by the vaporization of the oil inV the retort D. The coal is introduced through the lire-door. I,througl1 the duct J,

`whiehpasses through both water-spaces of the l 'rebox, and thus prevents the coal or other fuel from passing elsewhere than into the fuelchamber on lthe firefboxH. The waste gases l arising from the combustion of the -tuel on the bars H pass tbroughthe tubes K, and thence l along the ordinary tubes, K", into thefunnel.

The air for supplying the combustionof the fuel on thebars H issupplied through the ashpan door L, the sides ofthe ash-panitself, L', being continued upward vto form a nearly airtight joint with thelower partof the inner side of the second water-space, B, in the manner shown. Afrectaugular passage, M, with air door M,.is'fixed aroundthe ash-pan, this pas sage being forsupplying the; requisite quantity of air for the combustion of the gas as it issues from the pipe 'situated between the two water-spaces.

Themode'ofoperating with this modification of our said inven-tion'is as `follows: A` small quantity of coalwood, or other suitable havin g Bunsen or other burners placed in their sides.' The gas issues throughthese openings and the heat evolved by its combustion is thrown directly upon the absorbent plates of the'waterspaces, as shown, by the flames a issuing from the two opposite sides ofthe tubes. Such is a'description of one method of applying our saidinvention to the generation of steam in the boilers of locomotive-engines. It is obvious, however,- that there are many other ways in which it may be applied. For instance, the retort and pipes might be' placed within'an ordinary :fire-box Without the introduction of a second water-space, a small division only bc- 'ing used to separate the tire used for evaporating the oil from that arising from the combustion of theV gas.

vInstead of using the rectangular air-space M, Fig. l, sliding plates might be placed on the bottom of the lire-box, through which the air necessary Ifor the combustion of the gas would be admitted and its supply regulated; or .the space between the two Water-spaces might be closed altogether, excepting circular openings for theadmission of a tube around the gas-tube for lsupplyingair to the gas on the Bunsen principle.

Fig. 2 of the drawingsshows in longitudinal section one method ot' applying our invention for the generating of steam in the tubular boiler of a'stationary engine, within the firebox A of which there is lcon tained the retort or vaporizer B. Belowfthe retort B there is arranged the 'nre-grate G, upon which fuel is" placed for the vaporizin g of the oil. The waste gases from the combustion of the fuel on the grate C pass tothe chimney through the lower set or sets of tubes, D. The upper part of the generator is made circular and-of the contour of the interior of the `lire-box. This circular' or curved portion-is perforated or Iitted'with suitable burners, andthe heat arising from the combustion ofthegas is thrown directly against the absorbent surface of the fire-box.

The air necessary for the combustion of the gas is admittedv through the openings a, they sizes of which are regulated by means ofthe slides b.

In place of usingl a circular retort, one of a horseshoe or other suitable shape may also be employed, and instead of admitting the air necessary for thecombustiou of the gas through the openings a it may be advantageously admitted through perforations or other openings in-aplate at the front of the rebox,and thence drawn directly over, theparts of the retort through which the gas issues. l This arrangement is rendered intelligible by referring to thered liningin Fig. 2. Aplate or shield, af, curved in the form of the retort, is placed along its whole length and closed over at the inner end, b. At the same time the openings a in Fig. 2 are dispensed with, the farther end being left open for the admission of air. At suitable distances in the retort short tubes care placed, those portions of these tubes situated between the retort and the shield or plate a' being perforated, while 'within the tubes a gasburner is iixed, and the air is admitted to the gas so as t0 burn it through the small perfowhich petroleum-oil, shale-oil, paradinebil', or

other mineral, hydrocarbon, animal, or vegetableoil is admitted. The generator is raised to ahigh temperature by a iirebelow or at the sides, and, thoroughly heated, the oil is admittedin asmall ebntinuons stream; or it may he dropped in'rquantities as required. As soon asthe oil comes into contact with tire hot retort it is converted into gas,in a state fit to be burned through burners atthe places where it issues. from the generator; but as all the oils contain carbonin excessthat is, the carbon which is left unburned after the hydrogen has united with its combining quantity in burning the surplus carbon-#if not united with.. an-

' other body, so as to burn, would be deposited.

The-chief part'of thismodifieation of our invention `therefore refers tothe addition to the surplus carbon a quantity of hydrogen and oxygen, so thatthei'ormer may be entirelyconsumed. Onemethod under which thehydrol gen and oxygen are added consists ot' running or dropping water into the generator when the latter is' at. a high temperature. The oil and water are thus simultaneously decomposed or converted into gas, the hydrogen and a portion of the carbon of the oils vcombine in their burning proportion, while ythe surplus carbon is mixed with the hydrogenY and oxygen of the waterand is thus consumed, the two gases with the carbon producing burning-mixtures.

Instead of vadmitting a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen to mixwiththe surplus carbon,

the requisite quantity to take it up may be admitted of either gas singly.

Another vmodification of this invention consists in placing within a (or the) generatore. quantity of carbonaceous. mineral, animal, or vegetable substances', and iny utilizingthe hydrooarbon products ot' their destructive distillation by conveying the gas thus formed into the decomposing-vessel for theproduetion of heat, by mixing Athe surplus carbon with hydrogen and `oxyeu gases, combined or separately, as in the former modification.

vAnother part of `this invention consistsl in admitting a stream othydrogengas into a ves sel raised to a very high temperature. The hydrogen may be mixed with a portion of car bonaceous gas sufficient to induce combustion, and in some cases the hydrogen is burned unmixed with carbon.l When it' is desired to produce a very high heat, and to eect the complete eombustion of vthe surplus or uncombined` carbon of the oil, a proportion of hydrogen gas may be admitted into the retort, so as to be carbon oils for the generation ofsteam and the burned along with the hydrocarbon gas. production oi' heat generally, as bereinbefore It is obvious that the aforementioned prindescribed., or any meremodification thereof.

ciple of applying the gases of mineral oilsfor In testimony whereof :we have signed our heat-producing purposes may be applied to names to this specification in the `presence of marine boilers as well as for the production of two subscribing witnesses.

heat necessary for the working of metals and WILLIAM SIM heat-producing purposes generally. ARTHUR BARFF We claiml The general arrangement and construction Witnesses:

of apparatus for the utilization ofthe gases pro- ST. JOHN V,

duced by the vaporization of 'mineral hydro- JOHN BROWN. 

